An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
In the 18th century, a woman's pocket was a separate accessory item, not a feature built into any one particular skirt. Women carried their personal necessities in these pockets which were tied around the waist, including items like keys, thimbles, handkerchiefs, spectacles and coins. The vibrant and exuberant design of this example probably was worked by an untrained embroiderer at home who worked the design freehand. The motifs of roses, tulips and carnations are similar to those in samplers worked in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the fourth quarter of the 18th century. The gradation and shading of the greens and the general black outlining of the stems and central motif seem to be derived from English crewelwork. While the name of the maker is now lost, she clearly took some effort to fully decorated this pocket, filling every space with color and pattern.
The Costume Institute
An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.